Falcon Heavy successfully launches

Two boosters from SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket approach Landing Zones 1 and 2, located at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. on Feb. 6, 2018. The rocket, which lifted off from the historic launchpad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, is now the most powerful launch vehicle in operation anywhere in the world. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Zoe Thacker)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. --
On Tuesday, Feb. 6th at 3:45 PM ET, Falcon Heavy successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Falcon Heavy is the most powerful operational rocket in the world by a factor of two, with the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons (141,000 lb) -- a mass greater than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew, luggage and fuel.

Falcon Heavy's first stage is composed of three Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose 27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff, equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft. Only the Saturn V moon rocket, last flown in 1973, delivered more payload to orbit.

You can watch a replay of the test flight here, as well as a replay of the live view of Starman in orbit. Find out more about the Falcon Heavy test launch in our press kit.